Porous PTFE articles have been produced by fusing PTFE resin particles together through application of heat at a temperature above the melt (or sinter) temperature of the PTFE.
For example, GB 2 242 431 B to Allan, et al. (W. L. Gore & Associates, Ltd.), describes a sintered porous PTFE structure used as a filter to filter solids or gases from liquids. The porous structures are formed by fusing together particles of granular-type PTFE to form an integral network of void spaces between the particles. The pores are created by the void space between the particles and results in tortuous paths of voids through the article. Because of the small pore size and the chemical inertness of the PTFE, these structures are useful as filters, fuel cell electrodes, photocopy webs or rolls, and the like. However, these structures tend to have weak inter-particle connections and are not as strong as needed for some applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,866 to Honda (Daikin), describes preparation of porous PTFE articles of sintered granular PTFE and fine powder PTFE used as filters for filtering out small particulate. The preparation comprises the steps of first gelling a PTFE powder prepared by suspension polymerization (which to one skilled in the art identifies the PTFE as granular-type PTPE) at a temperature not lower than the melting point of PTFE. Next the PTFE is pulverized and mixed with an aqueous dispersion of PTFE fine powder prepared by emulsion polymerization. The solids are then coagulated, ram extruded, and baked by heating above the melting point of the PTFE. The gelled PTFE particles are hard and resist compaction. This results in relatively large size pores and the articles are useful mostly for separating out relatively large size particulate.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,855,191 to Doughty, et al.(DuPont Co.) describes a modified granular-type PTFE in which the modification is in use of a modifier monomer which enters into the polymer chain to modify the homopolymer structure without changing the well known nonmelt processible characteristics of the polymer.